Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-11-24
SHEEP MANAGEMENT.
Six Valuable and Timely Articles Con
dcusod Into ono.

9F1EEH mAlNNoGWG -
Six Valuable and Timely Articles Com
dcnscd Into one.
l. Tho change in the fall from grass
to hay and grain should be most grad
ual; il Sudden growth of both body
aud fleece is liable TO suffer check;
when the growth of tho latter starts
again there is weak spot in the fiber
which impairs its quality. Only Il few
kernals of grain should be given at
first and moro gradually up 10 about
n gill day at the end of two weeks.
Sheep are dainty and will neither ca t
dirty food nor drink foul water. Give
them cloan bright straw rather than
musty hay and straw that they scatter
under foot if raked up every day will
be eaten by other animals, and thus
saved from waste.
2. A mixture of two thirds oats and
one-third corn has given mo much bet
ter results, especially with breeding
ewes, than corn alone; on corn only,
with their hay, they became fcverish
and very much disordcd with respect
to yield of milk, and condition of I'D
ders, and many lambs were lost Ii
hay is fed n gill of grain per day will
DO enough, but with straw twice as
much should be given.
g. Sheep naturally drink little and
often, and an abundant supply of good
clean water should be always accessi-
bic TO them in their fold-one Of the
good uses to which windmill may be
put. 1t may be better even to give
them no water and lot them eat snow
than to let them get very thirsty and
drink largo quantities of cold water at
once; scours may result from such
chilling of the stomach.
4. 1t does not pay to expose sheep to
cold winds and storms. nor to force
them to lie on the snow SO that their
wool becomes wetted, nor, on the other
hand, to confine them so that they can
not get exercise. Without exercise
they are liable to become feverish and
constipatcd. and TO fall off in appetite
or if with young, to have stretchers.
and to produce feeble lambs. With an
abundant supply of roots they do bet
ter in confinement My sheep winter
in large shed. with windows all
around 1t to let in the sunlight with
an underdrained earth floor and ample
water supply and feeding racks; every
pleasant day they are turned into the
barnyard for exercise.
5. Sheep should be sheared before
they are turned out to grass, keeping
them housed even for n month if nee
essary for adequate protection from
cold, and turning them out for as much
of the day as the sun is warm, and CIV
ing them some dry food, and the lambs
little grain. Thus the ticks will be
got rid of earlier, much accumulation
of filth on the wool will be avoided,
and the sheep will be in better condi-
ton by reason of the gradual change
from dry feed to grass.
6. The old rulo to feed lambs 'little
and often" will not do for them,
though well enough for pigs Few
people realize how much milk the eve
furnishes, and how much lamb ought
therefore 10 have, which may be as
much rs three pints in twenty-four
hours. When 1t can not get its mother S
milk, on acc cunt of some trouble with
her udder, and for want of sufficient
nourishmont has become too weak to
swallow. it is given up as n case OF
collie doomed 10 be fatal. The lamb
should have its first food from sheep
if possible-if not from its own moth
er, then for few days from another
eve, which can be done by keeping
this eve lamb away from her for an
hour or two at time. II this is moi
possible. then give not less than gill
at feed. il the lamb will take rs
much, of milk from n new-milch cow,
heated to blow heat, and feed with a
nursing bottle. By keeping close
watch of the young lambs, and of the
conditio of the udders of their moth
ers in case of apparent trouble, and
even cuddling the little follows in ox-
treme cases so far MS to take them to
warm fire if chilled. giving them few
drops of spirits and then even warm
milk, a profitable saving of life may
be effected. II Danforth Curtis, in NJ
Y. Tribune.